Automatic room register



1959 A. E. SEBESTIK 2,915,745

I AUTOMATIC ROOM REGISTER Filed Feb. 15, 1957 40 3 7 5 w iNVENTOR v 7]fil ifi'u ei'asi'i/t 39 56 BY 2% W ATTORNEY United States Patent Thisinvention relates to an automatic room register for hotels and motelsand more particularly to a .novel electrical unit including a pluralityof switches which v rfunction in conjunction with plugs, by means ofwhich a plurality of electric circuits are controlled for visuallyindicating the number of room vacancies and when a no vacancy statusarises.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention i to provide aplurality of jacks each containing two electric switches actuated byapplying and removing a plug iwherein application of the plug to thejack efiects a closing of one of the switches and an opening of theother switch and removal of the plug results in an opening of thc'closedswitch and a closing of the open switch, for thereby controllingseparate electric circuits by which the number of vacancies areindicated and the lack of any vacancies, when such a condition arises.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a room register ofthe aforedescribed character wherein the switch actuating plugsconstitute room key supports so that room keys of vacant rooms aresupported by plugs which are mounted in the jacks.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a panel with which the multipleswitch supporting jacks may be associated;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstanially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure l andincluding a fragmentary diagrammatic illustration of the electric.circuits;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along a planeas indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the key supporting jack plugs.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the automatic room registerin its entirety is designated generally 6 and includes a panel 7 to arear side of which is attached a plurality of walls arranged in pairs,each including an upper wall 8 and a lower wall 9. The walls 8 and 9 ofeach pair of walls are disposed above and beneath, respectively, ahorizontal row of plug receiving openings 10 which are arranged inspaced apart relation to one another. Each wall 8 behind each opening 10and spaced therefrom is provided with a depending switch supportinghanger 11 of electrical insulating material, and each wall 9, behind andspaced from each opening 10, is provided with an upstanding switchsupporting standard 12 of electrical insulating material. Each hanger 11is provided with spaced nut and bolt fastenings forming contact posts 13and 14 and each standard 12 supports a corresponding pair of fastenings,forming contact posts 15 and 16. The upper contact post 13 of eachhanger 11 supports a resilient switch element 17 which toward the panel7 but which is of a lesser length than the element 17. The switchelement 17 is normally spring biased into engagement with the switchelement 18 so that the switch 17, 18 constitutes a normally closedelectric switch, as illustrated in Figure 2. The contact post 15 of eachstandard 12 supports a resilient switch element 19 which extendstherefrom toward the panel 7 and the lower post 16 of each standard 12supports a rigid switch element 20 which likewise extends from thestandard 12 toward the panel 7, but-which is shorter than the resilientswitch element 19. The switch element 19, which is disposed above theswitch element 20, is spring biased away from the switch element 20 tonormally assume a position out of engagement therewith so that theswitch 19, Zllconstitutes a normally open switch. The switch element 17,adjacent its free end and beyond the switch element 18, is provided witha downwardly offset portion 21 and the switch element 19, adjacent itsfree end and beyond the switch element 20, is provided with an upwardlyofiset portion 22.

An electric socket 23 is mounted in the panel 7 above each opening 10and a small electric bulb 2 4 is mounted in each socket 23 and extendsoutwardly from the panel 7.

Electrical conductors 25 and 26 lead from a suitable source of electriccurrent supply. If the current source is a conventional volt currentsupply, a transformer 27 may be interposed in the line 25, 26. Also, thepositive conductor 25 is preferably provided with a fuse 28. A lateralor branch conductor 29 leads from the conductor 25 to the post 15 ofeach switch 19, 20 and a branch conductor 30 is connected to the post 16of each switch 19, 20 and to the main line conductor 26. The socket.23disposed immediately above and associated with each switch 19, 20 isalso interposed in and connected to the conductor 30 between the post 16and conductor 26, so that when the switch 19, 20 is closed the lightbulb 24 contained in said socket 23 will be energized.

A conductor 31 leads from the main line conductor 25 to the post 13 ofone switch 17, 18. Said switch 17, 18 is connected to another switch 17,18 by a conductor 32 .which extends from the post 14 thereof to the post13 of the next switch, and the remaining switches 17, 18 are connectedtogether in the same manner and with a conductor 33 leading from thepost 14 of the last switch 17, 18 to the main line conductor 26. A lightsource 34 is interposed in the conductor 33. Thus, the switches 19, 20and the light bulbs 24 thereof are connected in parallel to the mainline conductors 25, 26 while the switches 17, 18 are connected in serieswith one another and to the main line conductors.

Each pair of switches 17, 18 and 19, 20 and the panel opening 10associated therewith forms a jack 35 and the switches of each jack 35are operated by a key supporting plug 36 including a body 37, which ispreferably bifurcated, and a stem 38 which extends from one end of thebody 37. At least the stem 38 of the plug 36 is formed of fiber or otherelectrical insulating material. A room door key 39 is connected to eachplug body 37 as by having the head of the key disposed in the otherbifurcated end of the plug body 37 and swingably connected thereto by apin 40 which extends through the body 37 and key head, as bestillustrated in Figure 4.

It will be apparent that the panel 7 may be provided with any number ofjacks 35 and will be provided with a corresponding number of plugs 36 toeach of which is connected a room door key. The plugs 36 can be numbered as seen in Figure 2 to designate the number of the room of thehotel or motel, the key 39 of which plug Patented Dec. 1, 1959 will fitthe door of such room. Likewise, the jacks 35 may be numbered by numbersapplied to the front side of the panel 7 above the openings 10 of saidjacks, as illustrated in Figure 1. When a room is vacated the key andkey plug are turned in to the room clerk, the stem 38 of the key plug isinserted through the jack opening 10 of the jack bearing a numbercorresponding to the plug number. As the stem 38 passes inwardly therounded inner end or head '41 thereof will engage between the switchelement portions 21 and 22 of said jack 35 to deflect the switch element17 away from the switch element 13 for opening the normally closedswitch 17, 18, and to deflect the switch element 19 toward and intoengagement with the switch element 21) for closing the normally openswitch 19, 20. Closing of the switch 19, 21), will complete the circuitto the light bulb 24 associated therewith so that said bulb will beenergized to indicate the rcorn vacancy. Should all of the plugs 36 beremoved from the panel 7, it will be readily apparent that all of thebulbs 24 will be de-energized and that all of the switches 17, 18 willbe in closed positions to complete the series circuit through saidswitches and the wires 31, 32 and 33 to energize the light bulb 34. Thelight bulb 34 can be associated with a sign, for example, not shown,disposed at a point remote from the panel 7 and so as to illuminateindicia indicating that no vacan cies exist, as for example the word noof a no vacancy sign and wherein the word vacancy is maintainedconstantly illuminated by a separate and distinct light source. Also,the light bulb 34 can be located in the ofiice of the manager of theestablishment or in a position where .it is readily visible to atelephone switchboard operator of the establishment, or a number ofbulbs 34 can be interposed in the conductor wire 33 for each of saidenumerated purposes, and all of which will be simulta neously energizedand de-energized.

Distinctively colored translucent covers may be provided, as seen at 42in Figure 2, which may be detachably mounted over the light bulbs 24which are illuminated to indicate that the room designated by said lightbulb has been reserved.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the function or scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic room register of the character described comprising asupporting member, a plurality of jacks supported by said supportingmember each including a normally open electric switch and a normallyclosed electric switch, each of said swiches include a rigid switchelement and a resilient switch element, parallel electric circuits inwhich said normally open switches are interposed, a light sourceinterposed in each of said parallel circuits, a single series circuit inwhich all of said normally closed switches are interposed, at least onelight source interposed in said series circuit, and a plug for each ofsaid jacks, said plugs being selectively insertable into and removablefrom the jacks, each plug, when applied to the jack thereof, engagingthe resilient switch elements of the two switches of said jack fordisplacing said resilient switch elements away from normal positionsthereof to close the normally open switch of the jack for completing theelectric circuit to the light source of the parallel circuit of saidswitch and for opening the normally closed switch of said jack wherebywhen the plug of any jack is in an applied position the light source ofthe series circuit will be de-energized.

2. An automatic room register as in claim 1, said support comprising apanel having a front side and a rear side, wall members supported by andprojecting from the rear side of the panel and providing supports forsaid switches, portions of the panel and wall members constituting thehousings of said jacks, said panel having openings forming parts of thejacks and through which the plugs are insertable into the jacks, andsaid light sources of the parallel circuits being mounted on andprojecting from the front side of the panel and being disposed in closeproximity to the panel openings.

3. An automatic room register as in claim 1, each of said plugsincluding a stem of electrical insulating material forrning the plugpart which engages the resilient switch elements and a body portionhaving means adapted to fasten a room key thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS975,175 Onge NOV. 8, 1910 1,208,007 Reynolds Dec. 12, 1916 1,340,145Blair May 18, 1920 2,554,223 Szabo May 22, 1951 2,572,521 Rogers Oct.23, 1951 2,615,096 Welch Oct. 21, 1952 2,733,426 Jablonowski Jan. 31,1956

